give me you this twenty-ninth of february
by jojor99
Summary: Interludes of Lily and Teddy's developing relationship starting with four-year-old Lily asking Teddy a very important question.


Four-year-old Lily Potter ran through the doorway and into the kitchen. She skidded to a stop next to the table and looked at her family gathered there. Her mum was standing at the counter chopping vegetables for that night's dinner. Her two brothers, James and Albus, were sitting at the table eating some freshly baked scones with jam and cream. Sitting across from her brothers was her god brother, Teddy.

Lily was briefly distracted by the plate of scones but decided to continue on her mission. She ran around the table, past her mother, and stopped in front of Teddy. He smiled down at her so she climbed up onto his lap.

"You're awake, Miss Lily," Teddy said, giving her a hug.

"Yep," she replied cheerfully.

"Do you want some of the scones that I made?" Teddy asked.

"Did you really, really make them?" Lily asked, looking amazed.

"Well, I helped your mum make them," Teddy said. "They're good, I promise. Look, Jamie and Al are eating them."

"They look yummy," she replied. "I'll have some soon."

"Oh, okay," Teddy replied.

Lily looked up to her fourteen-year-old god brother's face. "I'm so glad that you had to come home from Hogwarts, even if you had to be sick."

Teddy chuckled. "I'm better now, though, Miss Lily. I get to go back to school tomorrow."

Lily frowned. She didn't like when Teddy was away. Even though he didn't actually live with them, he visited a lot. And she loved when Teddy visited.

"Don't frown, Lily," Teddy said seriously. "It's not long until Easter, and I'll see you then."

"You promise?" she asked seriously.

"I do," he replied, equally as seriously.

Lily sat quietly on Teddy's lap for a few minutes and then suddenly spoke again. "Teddy, will you marry me?"

"What?" Teddy asked, looking a little shocked.

James and Albus started laughing at her. Her mum came over and sat at the table next to Teddy and her.

"You can't marry Teddy," James said. "He's our brother."

"Can to," Lily replied, sticking her chin in the air.

"Can't," Albus replied.

"Lily, honey. Don't you think you're a bit young to ask Teddy that?"her mother asked.

Lily frowned at her mother.

"Anyway," James said. "It's the boys who are supposed to ask the girls to marry them."

"Not today," Lily replied knowledgably.

Teddy looked down at her and smiled. "What makes you say that Lily?"

"Well, I heard Mum and Aunt Herminny talking this morning. Mum said that Aunt Luna asked Uncle Rolf to marry her today," Lily said.

"What?" James and Albus said, looking at their mum.

Ginny laughed a little before she spoke. "Lily's right, you know. Today is the twenty-ninth of February. It's a special day because it only comes about every four years. And on this day women can ask men to marry them."

"Really?" James asked.

"Did Luna really propose to Rolf?" Teddy asked.

"She did. Four years ago today. Hermione and I were talking about it this morning. Apparently Lily was listening in," Ginny said, rubbing her daughter on the head.

"See," Lily said to her brothers. She then turned to Teddy. "So, will you marry me?"

Teddy ruffled her hair. "I think we're a little young for me to answer that, Miss Lily. How about I just say…neither yes nor no. I'll answer that question when we're old enough. How does that sound?"

Lily nodded and snuggled against Teddy's chest.

**..::XXX::..**

Nine-year-old Lily bounced through her grandparents' kitchen. It was Christmas Eve and she was tremendously excited. All of her family were going to be at the Burrow to celebrate Christmas the next day. She couldn't wait to see her cousins, especially the ones that were at Hogwarts for most of the year. Lily loved being a part of a large family, and Christmas was the best time to be with the entire family.

"Slow down, Lily," her grandmother said as she headed for the door to the sitting room.

"But Teddy's in there. James just told me. I haven't seen him in _so _long. Daddy keeps him too busy at work so I never see him," Lily replied with a slight pout.

"Oh, go on then," her grandmother replied. "Just try not to knock anything over on your way."

Lily slowed down enough to give her grandmother a huge grin and then pushed her way into the living room. She bounded into the living room to find her dad and god brother talking with her uncle, Ron. She rushed across the room and jumped into Teddy's arms, almost making him fall over.

"Whoa there, Miss Lily,"Teddy said as she hugged him tightly.

"Hi, Teddy," she said.

"Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" Teddy asked her as he collapsed into a nearby chair, pulling Lily with him so that she ended up sitting on his lap.

"Oh, yes, I am," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Have you been a good girl?" Teddy asked.

"Of course," she said straight away.

"I think I'll have to check, Miss Lily," Teddy said, teasingly. "Has Lily been good this year, Harry?"

Lily stared at her dad and willed him not to lie to Teddy.

"I think so, Teddy,"Harry answered, ruffling Lily's hair.

"See?" she replied smiling.

"Okay, then," Teddy said. "So I guess I can give you your present then."

"You better," she said.

Teddy chuckled and hugged her.

Lily sighed and snuggled into Teddy's arms. Teddy was the only person outside of her parents with whom she felt most relaxed and comfortable.

The next day Lily had a wonderful time with her family. In the morning she unwrapped her presents at home with her brothers, parents, and Teddy, and then they Flooed over to the Burrow where she happily played with Hugo, Al, and Rose. Everyone squeezed into the kitchen to eat a fantastic dinner and then spread out across the house to relax.

Lily had had enough of playing and went to seek out Teddy in the hope he would spend some time with her. She looked in the kitchen and then the sitting room but could not see him at all. She then slowly opened the seldom-used front door and looked around the door to see a sight that shocked her. Teddy was sitting on the doorstep with Victoire snuggled against him. Teddy's arm was wrapped around her cousin's shoulders and they were staring into each other's eyes. Slowly, Teddy lowered his head towards Victoire and brushed his lips against hers.

Lily quickly shut the door and disappeared upstairs to her mother's old bedroom. She closed the door and slid down the inside of the door until she was sitting against it with her legs pulled up to her chest. She couldn't believe that Teddy was kissing Victoire. That wasn't meant to happen. Suddenly, Victoire was her least favourite cousin.

**..::XXX::..**

Twelve-year-old Lily was ready to board the Hogwarts Express to start her second year at Hogwarts. Her dad and brothers had already placed the trunks and cages on the scarlet train, and now was the time to say goodbye to all her family. All her aunts and uncles, her grandparents, and her cousins that had already finished their magical education were expected to be at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to bid farewell to the scholars.

Lily quickly said her farewells to her aunts and uncles. She then equaled her grandmother in the strength of her hug and kissed her grandfather goodbye. Her dad pulled her against him and held her in a warm hug for a long time—she knew that he would miss all of them a lot after such a fun-filled summer. Her mum then pulled her into a hug and gave her a few last-minute tips for the Quidditch team tryouts.

Lily then looked around for her god brother. Even though he was still in a relationship with Victoire, Lily and Teddy were still close, though he had stopped calling her "Miss Lily" when she had started at Hogwarts. She couldn't see him anywhere, and it was nearly time to board the train.

Five minutes before the train was due to leave, a troubled looking Teddy appeared on the platform alone. Lily was surprised. Victoire usually was right beside him when they appeared somewhere.

"Lily," Teddy called as he ran down the platform.

She raced up the platform to meet Teddy. He swung her around as soon as they met and then placed her back on her feet.

"I didn't think you'd make it," Lily said.

"Sorry," Teddy said. "I had something important happening."

"Yeah? Is everything okay?" she asked.

Teddy sighed and looked around before speaking. "I might as well tell you. Everyone will find out soon enough… Victoire and I broke up."

"What!" Lily exclaimed. She was totally shocked. Even though she wasn't overly enamored with them as a couple, she had thought they'd be together forever.

"Yeah," Teddy said, a little sadly.

"Are you okay, Teddy? What happened?" Lily asked.

"I'll get there, Lily. It was a bit of a shock, but Victoire has been seeing someone else for a little while," Teddy said.

"What! That—that _bitch_. How dare she!" Lily said emotionally. She couldn't believe that Victoire would do this to Teddy. "Who's she seeing?"

"That doesn't matter, Lily. I just had to end it even though Vic assured me it was nothing," Teddy said. "And you, Miss Lily, had better get on that train or you'll be taking after your father. He missed the train before his second year, too, you know."

Lily laughed. She had heard that story a few times. She gave Teddy the biggest hug she possibly could. "I'm really sorry, Teddy."

"Thanks, Lily," Teddy replied. "Now, get on the train."

She hugged him again and headed back to her carriage. "And don't call me 'Miss Lily,'" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran.

**..::XXX::..**

Fifteen-year-old Lily wiped the tears off her cheeks. She couldn't believe that she was crying over Scorpius Malfoy—that prat. He was one of Albus' closest friends and she had always gotten along with him really well. So much so that she ended up fancying him. Unfortunately, he didn't fancy her in return, and her teenage heart was crushed that he actually fancied a Hufflepuff girl from his year. Apparently, Scorpius wasn't keen to tell his father about that.

The door to her bedroom opened slowly. Lily tried to hide the fact that she had been crying from her mother, whom she expected to appear from the hallway. But it wasn't her mum's face that she saw.

"Hey, Lil," Teddy said. "Ginny said I'd find you up here. Hey, what's wrong?" He moved over to her bed and sat down beside her. "Lily, what's wrong?" he asked again, sounding really concerned.

She looked up at Teddy and smiled. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You've been crying. I can tell, Lily," he said, rubbing his thumb across her cheek.

Lily shuddered and leaned against Teddy's chest. He was so reassuring and easy to be with.

"Lily, what happened?"

"It's silly really. I…I just fancied Scorpius…"

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's lovely. He's always so nice to me. I guess I just imagined him being so nice was something more than friendship," Lily said quietly.

"I take it he doesn't feel the same."

"No, he's in love with someone else, someone that he's pretty sure his father won't accept," Lily said."Why do I always fall for the guys I have no chance with, Teddy?"

"_Always_ fall? Lily, how many guys have you fallen for that have rejected you?" Teddy asked, sounding a little worried.

"Oh, not that many, really. I thought I liked one of James' friends, but that was just a silly crush; then there was a boy in my year, but he wasn't interested."

"Lily, there will be someone out there who likes you," Teddy said.

"I've had offers," Lily said with a sigh. "But they just don't match up."

"To what?" Teddy asked.

"Oh, to what I want."

"Which is?"

"Someone like…you, I guess," Lily said, pulling away from him and staring at him intently.

"Me? Lily, are you saying that you're interested in me?" Teddy asked looking stunned. "Merlin, I'm way too old for you."

"I…I…" Lily stuttered. She had never really thought that what she felt for Teddy was love in the romantic sense. "Teddy, you're always here for me. I'm comfortable with you. You like my family for who they are…"

"They're my family, too, Lily," Teddy interrupted.

" know. It's just that a lot of guys at school see me as 'Harry Potter's daughter' and I hate that. I want someone to like me for me and forget about what my dad did. I want to feel comfortable with a guy and not to have to worry about what they think of me. I want them to support me in what I do or just be there for me to talk to. You do that for me, Teddy. So I want someone like you."

Teddy looked at her for a long time and then leaned down and gently kissed her on cheek, not far from the corner of her mouth. "Don't forget that you need passion, too, Lily. And you're way too young for me to be thinking about anything like that with regards to you."

Lily sat up straight. _Was he saying that he was interested in her?_ "Teddy?"

He gave her a smile and stood up. "You'll be okay, Lily. That guy you want will find you when the time is right." He then walked out of her room, leaving her feeling very confused.

..::XXX::..

Eighteen-year-old Lily opened the envelope with the fancy seal on it. She slowly pulled the heavy parchment out and took a deep breath. She opened the parchment, scanned through the letter quickly, and then grinned. She had made it.

"What are you smiling at, Lily?" a deep voice asked from the doorway.

"Hi, Teddy," she answered, and then she passed him her letter.

Teddy read through her letter and looked up with a huge smile on his face. He tossed the letter on the kitchen table and pulled Lily into a big hug.

"Oh, Lily, congratulations. This is fabulous," he said. "Are you excited?"

She pulled back a little so that she could look at him properly and then nodded. They gazed at each other for a long time and, just as Teddy started to lower his head, the door opened.

"What's happening?" her dad asked.

Lily and Teddy sprung apart as if they had been caught in a compromising position. "Guess what, Dad?"Lily asked excitedly.

"What? I'm guessing it's good news," her dad replied.

"Look," she announced, handing him her mail. "I've been accepted into the Advanced Charms Institute. I start in August."

Harry dropped the mail and hugged her enthusiastically. "This is fantastic news, Lils. Your mum is going to be so proud."

"Thanks, Dad."

"This calls for a celebration," Harry observed. "We'll have to get your brothers home for a special dinner. Can you stay, Teddy?"

Teddy nodded and Lily let out an uncharacteristic squeal.

Dinner that night was fun. James and Al were amazed at the offer she had received and were very happy for her. Her mum had made all of her favourite foods to celebrate, and there was just a pleasant and happy feel in their home that night. The only thing a little confusing was Teddy. He kept looking at her, and it wasn't like how he normally looked at her—it was a little more…_intent_, like how he looked at her just before her dad had arrived at home.

After dinner, her mum and dad disappeared into the study to do Merlin knows what—she didn't want to think about it. She lounged around in the sitting room with her brothers and Teddy, chatting and playing games. It was fun, but Teddy seemed a little off.

Later on, when her brothers decided to head to James' flat, Teddy hung back even though James and Al asked him to join them.

"Are you okay, Teddy?"she asked. "You've been a little quiet."

"I'm fine. I've just realised something."

"What's that?"

"You're grown up now, and about to start a real job."

Lily chuckled. "Gee, I'm glad you noticed," she said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed, and then cupped her jaw with his large hand.

"You've grown up _really _nicely, Lil," he stated, staring into her eyes.

Teddy then lowered his head and softly kissed her. Lily was a little shocked at first but soon started kissing him back. A while later, Teddy pulled away from her, groaned, and then rested his forehead against hers.

"So…I'm thinking that you don't think I'm too young anymore," Lily said softly.

"Merlin, Lil. I don't think I care anymore. You're an adult and have finished school, so if it's something you want, then that's just great."

"I think I want you to kiss me again," she replied before pulling Teddy's mouth back towards hers.

**..::XXX::..**

Teddy pulled Lily into his lap and kissed her ear. They had been together for two years, ever since he had kissed her in her parents' kitchen. Tonight, they were enjoying the fact that neither of them had any plans for the entire weekend so they could just spend time together—alone.

"Do you remember asking me to marry you?" Teddy asked her suddenly.

"What? You're making that up," she replied.

"You did—when you were four," Teddy said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"Really? _Why_ did I ask you?"

"It was the twenty-ninth of February, and you had heard Ginny and Hermione talking about Luna and Rolf, so you decided to ask me. James and Al thought it was extremely funny."

"I'm sure they did," she replied, and then she sat up. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Teddy sat up, faced her, and clasped their hands together. "I never answered you, you know."

"And?" Lily asked, nervous.

"I think I'm ready to, now," Teddy said fervently.

"You are?" she prompted quietly.

"I am. And I'd love to marry you, Miss Lily."

..

**Author's Note**: A huge thank you to **mew-tsubaki** for betaing this for me. It's greatly appreciated.


End file.
